Category Archives: feasts

Sumela Monastery

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Only recently did I learn of the existence of Sumela Monastery, a place which briefly in this century became particularly associated with the Feast of the Dormition (falling asleep in death) of Christ’s Mother, which we commemorate this month. This recent connection started in 2010:

“Orthodox Christians from around the world attended a rare Liturgy at an ancient monastery in Turkey… at the Sumela monastery in Trabzon province, north-eastern Turkey. At least 1,500 pilgrims, including people from Greece and Russia, traveled to the Byzantine-era monastery. The service was the first Greek Orthodox Liturgy to be held at the shrine since 1923, after the Turkish government allowed pilgrims to worship there once a year in a gesture toward religious minorities, in line with Turkey’s aspiration to join the EU.

“Those attending were elated, with one worshipper saying it was a great moment as they could now pray on the land where their great-grandfathers had come from. In 1923, the Turkish authorities had banned religious services at the monastery, built on the side of a mountain, and turned it into a museum, after it was abandoned when a population swap between Turkey and Greece saw most local Orthodox move to Greece.”

The Patriarch of Constantinople was allowed to celebrate Divine Liturgy every year on the Feast of the Dormition from 2010 until 2015, but starting in 2016 reconstruction work has prevented this.

I watched several videos about the monastery and the one I really liked was this one: “What is the Sumela Monastery?” because the personable guide had taken time to learn something about the history of the place, and he respectfully refrained from blathering ignorantly, unlike some other visitors who put up videos on YouTube.

The monastery was founded by two monks in the fourth century, and through the following centuries repeatedly fell into ruin and was restored; in the 13th century it had grown into its present form.

Occasionally when I happen upon pictures or stories of ancient sites like this, built into steep cliffs, I become entranced with the otherworldliness of them and the drama of their settings. I’m glad I can visit them by means of these pictures and videos.

A blessed Feast of the Dormition to you all!

At home our children are waiting for us.

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When Jesus and three of his disciples were on Mt. Tabor, and Moses and Elijah appeared as well — before Peter, James and John fell on their faces at the thundering of God’s voice, Peter suggested they build some shelters and stay a while. Just now I read this prayer prompted by that event: “Prayer on the Feast of the Transfiguration.”

“Come to us again, O Jesus—do not listen to Peter! Come down from Tabor and come to our homes, into our hearts! Come here, where we are suffering and laboring for our daily bread! Come here, where we are crucified by people, demons, and passions! If Peter does not want to come down, leave him on the mount and come to us, to our hearts!

“Teach us how to be saved, show us how to endure. Train us to carry our life’s cross. Teach us how to be crucified. Come and suffer for us, Thou Thyself be crucified instead of us, Thyself first taste the cup of death, show us a new way to salvation through suffering.

“O, how we would have liked to stay with Peter on Mount Tabor! But we bear a body, gasping from sickness, lusts and passions. In our breasts are hearts burning with hatred. At home our children are waiting for us, asking us for a piece of bread!…”

-Archimandrite Iachint Unciuleac

You can read the whole prayer: Here

Health and healing, water and blessing.

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Last weekend I drove a visiting priest to San Francisco, from where he was going to return to his home across the world the following day. But before I dropped him off at the church where he would serve that evening, he asked if we might stop by Holy Virgin Cathedral, where the relics of St. John the Wonderworker reside. I was quite happy to do that!

Every time I visit there, I feel more comfortable and more deeply blessed, but so far, not less overwhelmed by the size of the space, especially the height of the cathedral, and the numerous icons covering the walls and also freestanding around. The names are all in Cyrillic, so there are many who remain unidentified to me, though this time I recognized more of the saints just from having got to know them better elsewhere.

When I tried to get a picture of my companion as he stood praying next to St. John’s casket (he is somewhat hidden behind a palm), I realized that I could include the whole of one of the stained glass crosses in my picture. Later he and I discussed the used of stained glass in Orthodox churches, and I made note of how in the image we were looking at, there were no human figures, so no saints were cut in pieces, as it were, by leaded lines. He liked these examples of stained glass. I guess I still am not used to them.

It was timely that I came away with that picture, because today was our commemoration of the Procession of the Honorable Wood of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.

“The origin of this Feast is explained in the Greek Horologion of 1897: ‘Because of the illnesses which occur during the month of August, it was customary at Constantinople to carry the Precious Wood of the Cross in procession throughout the city for its sanctification, and to deliver it from sickness.'”

A service for the Blessing of Water was held this evening, the hymns all about healing; and our rector reminded us that though we may tend to seek medical care when we are ill, we ought always to pray first, especially for the healing of our sin-sick souls.

Today is also the beginning of the Dormition Fast, by which we prepare our hearts to imitate the life of the Mother of our Lord, and we make ready to remember her death, on August 15th. The consideration of her example, and the shortness of our own lives, also help put us in a condition of receptiveness to the healing power of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord is my Light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

A prayer from tonight’s service:

O Lord our God, Who art great in counsel and wondrous in deeds; Fashioner of all creation, Who preservest Thy covenant and Thy mercy for those who love Thee and keep Thy commandments; Who receivest the compunctionate tears of all who are in need. For this reason Thou camest in the form of a servant, being not afraid of our image, but granting true health to the body and saying, “Behold, you who have become healed; sin no more!” And with clay Thou madest the eyes whole, having commanded them to be washed, at a word making them to rejoice in the light, putting to confusion the floods of passions caused by the enemies and drying up the bitter sea of this life, subduing the floods of sweet things heavy to bear: As the same King, O Lover of mankind, Who hast granted us to clothe ourselves with the garment of snowy brightness, by water and the Spirit, send down upon us Thy blessing by the partaking of and sprinkling with these waters, washing away the filth of passions.

All of them were filled.

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When the most High came down and confused the tongues,
He divided the nations;
but when he distributed the tongues of fire
He called all to unity.
Therefore, with one voice,
we glorify the All-holy Spirit!

 “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost